In Pursuit of Greatness
by Anna Dearest
Summary: A not-so-vague history of Voldemort's life. From little oblivious Tom Riddle to the Dark Lord Voldemort.
1. Bring Us the Heir of Slytherin

In Pursuit of Greatness  
  
A/N: This is just an idea, but if you don't like it, it may well just be a writer's fling. Basically, it's Voldemort's life, starting out with the basic Tom Riddle history, and moving on from there. This is the second story I'm currently working on, but this idea has haunted me for FAR too long. First chapter is an omniscient point of view, afterwards switching to Tom Riddle's. Hope you enjoy. -Anna Dearest  
  
Bring Us the Heir of Slytherin  
  
"Tom! I'm sorry I didn't tell you!" Delenorah Riddle pleaded with her husband. "I'm sorry, so very sorry. You see how you're reacting. This is why I could say nothing! I knew you'd react this way! Please, Tom, please understand!"  
  
"What is there to understand?" the young man, Tom Riddle, shrieked at his sobbing wife. "You're a witch! That's all there is to it, nothing more. There is nothing for me to understand! You, standing there, carrying my child, bound with your.abnormality!"  
  
"Please, Tom! Try to understand that this doesn't change anything!"  
  
"Yes it does! I'll not be married to a witch!"  
  
With that, the Muggle Tom Riddle stormed out of his and his wife's home, leaving his pregnant wife alone. Delenorah broke down sobbing. How could she do this along? She, a woman, a witch, with child?  
  
She could not do it alone, but little did she know she would not live through childbirth.  
  
**********  
  
"Such a beautiful baby," one of the women at the orphanage cooed. On July 14, 1927, this day old baby had come to her at Mary Ann's Orphanage. According to the nurse present at the birth, the wife had been abandoned, left to birth her child alone. She'd had just enough time to name the child Tom Marvolo Riddle.  
  
With a soft sigh, the woman placed the bundle in a rickety old crib, as the orphanage could not afford much more. With another sigh, she turned to a rain-smattered window, where it had not ceased storming since the child's birth.  
  
A/N: Short, yes, but I'm starting immediately on the next chapter, not to mention the chapter for my other story. Stress, but not enough. -Anna Dearest 


	2. Mary Ann's Orphanage

In Pursuit of Greatness  
  
A/N: I decided to go ahead and start this since my first chapter was so short. I don't know where this story is going. I do plot wise, but along the lines of how far into his life.I haven't the foggiest. -Anna Dearest  
  
Mary Ann's Orphanage  
  
"Tom! Come inside for dinner Tom!"  
  
I can hear Louise calling for me. She's just a kind plump woman who probably has never left Little Hangleton in her entire life. She's also the one who runs this dilapidated little structure they call an orphanage.  
  
They tell me that here they accept everyone. That's a lie if there ever was one. I'm different from the rest of the orphans, and they know it. I have dark hair, pale skin, and green eyes. Louise tells me I'll be a handsome young man. I tell her she'll be an old maid.  
  
Louise is nice enough. She takes care of us, even though sometimes she does it out of her own pocket. She says we live off the town's donations, but most of the town is too poor to donate. Every morning we put on the same ragged clothes that Louise has patched several times through. This is of course after we fight over the showers. I'm always last.  
  
I think I'll skip dinner. It's probably just some mush they'll try to shove down my throat until I choke before I'm old enough to leave.  
  
What shall I do when I leave this place? I honestly don't know. I have to say I'd make a good worker. I have a thirst for knowledge. I'm determined. I'm good at my studies, the top of my class.  
  
Class, if they can call it that. It's not hard to be the top, though I am still rather proud of myself. There's one other person here who can even equal me in this thirst for knowledge, and that's Red.  
  
Red's like me in her own way. She's different from the rest of them. After all, it's 1938, and you have to respect any young lady who'll stand out in the rain in Great Hangleton selling newspapers and trinkets until she's soaked through. Red isn't even her real name, it's Tiaret, but she became Red because of her auburn hair.  
  
Here in this lovely.home..Red's the only friend I have, because we're different together. Both of our father's are deserters, and both of our mothers died in childbirth. It's amazing how even in an orphanage, you can get blamed for being your mother's end.  
  
It's a shame really, since I know where my father lives and all. In fact, he's within walking distance of the orphanage.  
  
The orphanage, when you're an optimistic person, isn't a bad place at all. There's a forest and a rather large creek out behind the building. That's where I am now, in my favorite tree, reading as usual. It's not that bad, with the branch hanging over the water, it causes a nice effect. Red's one of those optimistic people. If you're around her too long, you begin to notice these things.  
  
"TOM!"  
  
There's Louise again, the poor dear. I fear she's beginning to lose patience with me after all. It doesn't matter, I'll be inside before curfew.  
  
"Fine, Tom! Just don't eat dinner. But you had better be in before curfew, or I'll wring your neck this time! You can be sure of that!"  
  
She yells this towards the trees, as that's where I normally am in the first place. I suppose that I should go ahead and go inside while all the other boys are eating dinner. I won't be able to see Red today, but she's sick anyway, and now Rodney and his gang of tough boys won't be able to pick on me.  
  
I creep down the halls of Mary Ann's, passing up the dormitory where Tiaret Richards is lying still. I make it to my own bed in the crowded boys' dormitory, where I share a room with eleven other boys.  
  
As Rodney and his gang enter the room, jeering at my supposedly sleeping back, I pray to whatever deity may be listening that Red is fine tomorrow, that way I may not be so lonely.  
  
Selfish as that may sound, I hate feeling alone.  
  
A/N: Yes, you probably guessed it by now. I'm giving reasons why Voldemort is, well.Voldemort. No, I'm not condoling killing people, but I've been thinking on this a lot. Can you tell? Trust me, the other chapters will be longer. -Anna Dearest 


	3. Tragedy in MidJuly

In Pursuit of Greatness  
  
A/N: Here's another chapter. As with my other story, I don't know when the next update will be. I'll be in and out of the hospital for a couple weeks, but I'll try to get it up whenever I'm home. -Anna Dearest  
  
Tragedy in Mid-July  
  
It's terribly cold for the middle of July. A storm is raging blindly outside, and I know it'll be only moments before my best friend will creep in here.  
  
My birthday, July 13, is only four days away. My early birthday present so far is terrible though, as Louise is horribly ill. Just after Red recovered, it seemed that the old woman became bedridden with the flu.  
  
I can hear the door creaking open, but I don't look up. I forget the storm for a moment and forget that it's probably only Red. My back is to the entrance, but I just KNOW that it'll be Rodney Coggins or one of his cronies. Fearing the worst, I shoot up in bed when I feel a weight settle on the lumpy mattress. Surprised, I turn to see lengths of auburn hair and startled blue eyes.  
  
"Hey, Red."  
  
"Hello, Tom. I thought you were asleep."  
  
"No, the storm's a bit too loud," I reply nonchalantly. I'm trying to put on a brave face for her. She's normally optimistic, but when it comes to storms, you'll never meet anyone more frightened.  
  
I scoot over on the bed, as is our custom, and she settles in beside me. I laugh softly in the mostly quite dorm room. It's heard and she turns her blue eyes accusingly on me. "What?"  
  
"I'll never get why you're so scared."  
  
"Yes, you do. And just remember, unless this quits, we have to go out in this mess tomorrow."  
  
"I'm sure it'll quiet down."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
From there, we fall into companionable silence, and then into slumber.  
  
**********  
  
"Tom, wake up!"  
  
Someone's attempting to prod me awake. However, I can see the light beyond my eyelids, and that is definitely too bright. The feminine voice, which the prodding finger obviously belongs to, is sounding very frustrated indeed.  
  
"Thomas Marvolo Riddle! If you don't wake up, I'm going to dump a bucket of rainwater on you! I am NOT going to Great Hangleton to sell newspapers by myself in this storm!"  
  
"We've got newspaper duty again?" I ask thickly, deciding it best not to anger the fireball before me.  
  
"Yes, and it wasn't Louise's choice. That nephew of hers is here, and he's in charge of running the orphanage until she's well." That last sentence is just a whisper, and I can tell that Red is just as upset as I am at the news. To put it politely, Louise's nephew is an ass. As I was putting it politely, there are definitely much worse things that I could truthfully say.  
  
"That..IDIOT?" I hear someone to one of the beds at my right bellow. More sounds of protest are heard as many of the boys in the dormitory remember the formidable man's last visit.  
  
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, just cooperate! Louise is sick, and the last thing she needs is you complaining about her family!" Red scolds.  
  
"Shut your trap, Richards!" Rodney snarls, advancing on Red menacingly. Louise may have brought him up, but he won't hesitate to hit a girl, especially not 'Richards.'  
  
"Don't you even, Rodney Coggins!" Red says shrilly. I don't know who to feel sorry for, as I know perfectly well that Tiaret Richards has a temper. Oh well, if it's aimed at Rodney..  
  
**********  
  
Red and I were returning with the remaining papers and the profit made when we saw the procession making its way towards the Little Hangleton cemetery from Mary Ann's. The two of us dropped our bearings on the stoop in front of the orphanage. We were about to take off to see our 'mother' for the very last time, until it all began.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
That exclamation from my friend was enough to stop my progress. Standing in the doorway was Edward Vance, or Mr. Vance, as he had us call him. I called him Mr. I-Never-Want-A-Second-Glance. He had small watery eyes and a mustache. Though he was young, his hair was already thinning dramatically, and his skin gave an appearance of leather. This was indeed the young nephew of Louise, but right now, I only cared that his right hand was firmly wrapped around Red's too-thin arm. He quickly dragged her inside like a rag doll, knowing perfectly well that I'd follow them.  
  
Once inside, I was greeted by a very eerie, and completely out of place, silence. It was one such as we'd never heard at the orphanage before. However, my attention was drawn solely towards Mr. Vance, who still had a hold of Red's arm.  
  
"Get into the kitchens, both of you!" he snarled at us. He then roughly shoved her small form in the direction of the door to the kitchens. "I want you both to clean up in there. I also want to see both of you in my office tomorrow!"  
  
"YOUR office?" I retorted, ignoring Red frantically shaking her head in my direction.  
  
"YES, MY OFFICE!" Mr. Vance bellowed. "NOW GET INTO THE KITCHENS!"  
  
A/N: Sounds lovely, eh? I know it is terribly short again, but I'll be sure to get cracking on the next chapter soon. -Anna Dearest 


	4. Mr Vance's Office

In Pursuit of Greatness  
  
A/N: Yeah, here's the fourth chapter. I'm currently working on chapter 16 of my other story. Anyway, here's an update.  
  
Mr. Vance's Office  
  
Vance kept Red and I working through much of the rest of that day, not to mention part of the night. He also denied us any meals until the morning. His excuse was that we were late returning from Great Hangleton. We pretty much helped to drag one another down the halls of the mourning orphanage.  
  
The next morning, all the children who I shared my humble home with were woken promptly at five o'clock in the morning. And it was all Vance's doing. He felt that he could save the orphanage money if he made us work harder and longer.  
  
But that wasn't all that was changed. After I met up with Red in the hallway, both of us headed down to breakfast. Upon arriving at the table, we found that there was no food left. I looked up to see Vance smirking at us behind a forkful of sausage, not the mush we had to eat. He sat there calmly, as he explained that he was forced to cut down on our food.to help us he said.  
  
Right after breakfast, he told Red and I to be in his office after finishing our basic chores. However, they weren't very basic at all. Boys had to do mostly outside work; such as chopping firewood for the old fashioned stove we still used, and haul heavy-laden carts of goods to Great Hangleton to sell. The older girls, Red among them, were forced to help with that. The rest of the girls had to clean the orphanage from cobwebby roof to dusty floor.  
  
When evening was nearing, both Red and I slipped into the tiny office that had once been the haven of sweet old Louise. However, the sour faced Mr. Vance sat pompously behind the wooden desk that had been crammed in there. For one long moment, he eyed us suspiciously.  
  
"Well now, I hear that I have not one, but TWO freaks in my orphanage."  
  
The sentence was left hanging in the air, as neither of us could understand it. Casting questioning glances at Vance, we both sat back and waited for an elaboration. It came quickly.  
  
"As my aunt's last dying wish, I'm to send you to some school, using much of her inheritance money.." That definitely had to be what had him ticked. "Here are your so-called letters. I'll be leaving you in London on August 31 to get your things. Then, on September 1st, you're to catch your train to your school."  
  
"Sir," Red spoke hesitantly, "we're staying in London overnight."  
  
"I'm sure you'll find something to hide under, you rat."  
  
**********  
  
Mr. Vance's words were confusing to me. I was no closer to understanding what had happened when he shoved us out the door. Red shot me a quizzical look before we both moved on to our letters.  
  
It was a strange letter indeed. Magic? Hogwarts? Dippet? I hadn't a clue what any of this was, and apparently, neither did Red. She looked, if possible, even more confused than I did. She startled me quite a bit when she gasped excitedly.  
  
"Directions!" she beamed, brandishing a sheet of parchment inches from her own face.  
  
"Red? Directions to what?" I asked skeptically. This place simply couldn't be real.  
  
"To..Diagon Alley? I've never heard of it, but it has complete directions on how to get there. Then there's King's Cross. I've been there before. When I was three and my father was trying to find a place to inconspicuously be rid of me.."  
  
"I suppose we'll just see," I sighed. "But just think, Red. Next month, we may not be here."  
  
A/N: All for now. I'm intentionally making this story's chapters shorter.  
  
By the way, read Sixth Year and a Lifetime of Worries, please. Please review. Criticism is most welcome. -Anna Dearest 


End file.
